Once Upon A Time: Chapter Five
Ouat x reader insert
Ouat x Gn!reader
Word count: 9.2k
CW: Injury(broken bones), threats, attempted murder, mental health implications
Episode Five: That Still Small Voice
In The Enchanted Forest
A crowd gathers around a puppet show, the bright colors of the puppet’s clothing and cartoonist voices distract the crowd from a young boy weaving through the crowd, pickpocketing anyone who appears to have anything of value on them. He goes unnoticed and sneaks away. Later, he empties his stolen goods out on a table in front of his parents, who gleam when they see the pile of gold, silver, and high value goods in front of them.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Careful! Careful!” The father, an older man called Martin, warns as he begins to rifle through the pile.
“Don't let those coins roll away,” the mother, a woman called Myrna adds as she follows in a similar manner as her husband, picking out anything particularly shiny.
“No, they might… disappear,” Martin grins as he takes a coin and performs a magic trick, the coin seemingly disappearing before it reappears and he swiftly puts it in his pocket. “Whoa, whoa. Look at that!” He shouts as the young boy - Jiminy - pulls out a small cage with a cricket stuck inside.
“Oh, a cricket! I love crickets!” He smiles as he admires the insect, resting his chin on the table.
“Crickets are trouble. Noisy bugs.” Myran complains while counting the coins.
“But they get to do what they want! Hopping from place to place… They’re free.” He explains innocently, an air of longing surrounding him as he gazes at the cricket.
“You’re free,” his mother argues, rolling her eyes at her son’s desires.
“To do what we want,” his father chimes in.
“To be who you are.”
“And you are who you are.”
“Well, maybe I want to be something else. Maybe I don’t want to steal. Maybe I want to be good,” Jiminy considers as he begins to imagine the life he could be leading if he chose to be good.
“All that from a cricket…” His father grumbles, as he stashes the coins away for ‘safe keeping’.
“Told ya - trouble.”
“Good is another word for weak,” Martin explains.
“Let us do the thinking for you,” Myran suggests as she pats her son’s head just a little too hard.
“That’s what parents are for.”
“To help you.”
“You are who you are and there’s no changing you, Jiminy. Right?” His father pushes while moving to sit opposite his son, glaring down at him with a cold grin.
“...Right.” Jiminy mumbles, looking away from his cricket and to the ground.
“Right. Problem solved.”
In Storybrooke Maine, In The Real World
Henry and Archie sit in Archie’s office for Henry’s session, Pongo the dog curled up at Henry’s feet.
“You weren’t always a cricket.” Henry comments out of the blue, hands fiddling with his scarf.
“I weren’t always- Oh, right. Because, um… Because you think I’m Jiminy Cricket. Why… Why do you… Why do you think that, Henry?” Archie stutters out, trying and failing once again to try and understand Henry’s theory/
“It’s just because of who you are,” he shrugs.
“And what am I?” He questions as he jots down some small attempts at trying to piece his thinking together.
“You’re a conscious. You help people see right from wrong,” he explains while reaching down to pet Pongo. To him, it makes so much sense for Jiminy Cricket to be made into a therapist, still unaware that you were the one to design that part of this curse.
“So, all the crickets in Storybrooke - they were once people, too?” Archie questions though it comes off almost condescending to the boy who instantly frowns.
“There aren’t any crickets here. Listen.”
“Maybe it isn’t light enough,” Archie suggests with a dismissive shrug, receiving another frown from the boy.
“There’s never been crickets here. You’ve just never noticed,” he argues while pointing to empty air, going quiet for a moment to prove his point. No crickets.
“So, you think that’s proof that there’s a curse?” He enquires sceptically, almost tired of hearing about the curse every week.
“Yes, but I know it’s not enough. I’m looking for more,” Henry explains, as convinced as he is that the curse is real, it is quickly dawning on him how other people view him. Therefore, he must gather evidence.
“So, Henry, look. I asked you this once before because you said you’d think about it. Why do you think it’s so important that this is real?” He asks, finally addressing the core of why this is all so important to him.
“It… It just is.”
“Alright. Well, keep thinking about that answer, Henry. Cause I think there’s something buried there.”
Emma and Graham stand together in the sheriff station talking over her new job, Emma holding up the uniform that is assigned to staff.
“A tie? You know you don’t have to dress a woman as a man to give her authority,” she teases, tossing the beige clothing back at him.
“So, you think you can get people to do what you want in that red coat?” He shoots back while leaning against his desk, crossing his arms.
“I’m getting you to do what I want right now.”
“Well, at least wear the badge. Go on - take it. If you really want to be a part of this community, we have to make it official.” He orders as he holds out a badge similar to his own, which she sighs and takes it from him. When she clips it onto her belt, there is a violent shake which alerts you, you immediately run towards the noise as all the phones at the station start to ring.
The entire town is gathered around where there appears to be the entrance to a tunnel. You, while the rest of the town is too worried to investigate, you start to poke around the entrance. That is, until Regina arrives in her car.
“Everyone! Step back, please!” She calls out and everyone complies but you, much to her chagrin, but she doesn’t try to stop you. There’s no point, and you know when you’re in a dangerous situation.
“Is it a crater?” Ruby asks while itching to pull you into the crowd and away from the mystery collapse in the town.
“No, they were tunnels - old mines. Something collapsed.” Marco responds in a surprisingly calm tone, you suppose that in the curse he was given a fake history of Storybrooke.
“He is correct, I can see a track running through it!” You nod as you edge ever closer to where the ground dips.
“Be careful, [name], you shouldn’t be there!” Regina warns before turning to Sheriff Graham and the new Deputy Emma with a sigh, “Sheriff, set up a police perimeter. Marco, why don’t you help with the fire department? Miss Swan, this is now official town business. You’re free to go.” She grins in a mock politeness, her distaste for the woman is hardly a secret.
“Well, actually, I work for the town now,” Emma points out with a little smirk, keeping her eyes flickering between Regina and you, making sure you don’t actually go into the tunnels.
“She’s my new deputy,” Graham adds on with an awkward smile, rubbing the back of his neck. It is awkward to have to inform the woman that you are having a relationship with that you have employed the woman that she despises in a position that is directly under you.
“They say the Mayor’s always the last to know.”
“It’s in my budget,” he argues.
“Indeed. Deputy, why don’t you make yourself useful and help with crowd control?” She shrugs while rolling her eyes, already fed up with the day.
Regina steps away from them and stands in front of the crowd of people who are watching you slowly creep into the tunnel.
“People of Storybrooke, don’t be alarmed. We’ve always known this area was honeycombed with old mining tunnels. But fear not. I’m going to undertake a project to make this area safe - to rehabilitate it into city use. We will bulldoze it, collapse it, pave it.” She announces while Henry runs to the front of the crowd.
“Pave it? What if there’s something down there?” He argues while grinning upon seeing you, making him want to investigate too.
“Henry. What are you doing here?”
“What’s down there?” He questions while stepping forward.
“Nothing. Now step back. In fact, everyone - [name], I mean you too! Please, please step back. Thank you.” She demands, to which you roll your eyes but comply for the time being, standing just outside the entrance to the tunnels. You don’t notice Regina picking up a piece of glass from the debris and putting it in her pocket. But Henry does.
“What was that?” Henry points out.
“Henry, enough. Listen. This is a safety issue. Wait in the car.”
Henry grumbles and reluctantly begins to walk out of the area.
“Deputy Swan, Sheriff - cord off the area.”
Henry climbs into Regina’s car, continuing to grumble in irritation, waiting for the perfect moment to get out and whisper to Archie who was standing nearby.
“Hey, Archie! Over here!” He whisper-yells as he leads him to a police car by Emma.
“This requires all of Operation Cobra. Both of you,” he explains quietly while attempting to stay hidden from Regina.
“I didn’t realize that I was in Operation Cobra,” Archie comments.
“Of course you are. You know everything. We can’t let her do this. What if there’s something down there?” He explains before trying to catch a glimpse at the tunnels, already trying to imagine what’s hiding down there.
“They’re just some old tunnels,” Emma shrugs.
“That just happen to collapse right after you get here? [Name] wouldn’t be trying to get into them if they were just mines. You’re changing things. You’re weakening the curse.” Henry argues with a bright smile, believing that you are at least somewhat aware and the curse has to be unravelling by Emma’s presence.
“That’s not what’s happening.”
“Yes, it is! [Name] wouldn’t fight my mom so much on this if it was nothing. Did you do anything differently today?” He questions as he looks at the badge on her belt, “cause something made this happen.”
Regina walks up to the three of them, “Henry, I told you to wait in the car. Deputy, do your job.” She orders as the two split and leave in different directions, Emma rubbing her badge gently as if in thought. When Archie goes to leave, Regina calls after him.
“Dr. Hopper. A word, please?” She asks as she leads him away from the crowd. “Okay. We’re done with this.”
“Uh, excuse me?”
“My son. We need a new treatment plan. Everything I do he thinks is part of some horrible plot. I can’t cover up a safety hazard without him thinking I’m hiding something. How am I hiding something terrible in an old mine? How is any of this logical to him?” She questions while Archie frowns as if almost sensing what she wants him to do.
“He’s got an amazing imagination,” he shrugs, unable to come up with any other logical explanation for Henry’s belief.
“Yes, that you let run rampant,” Regina snaps.
“Well, I think it would be wrong to rip away the world he’s constructed. I’d rather use it to try and gain-”
“Sometimes, I think you’ve forgotten. You work for me. You’re an employee. And I can fire you. This is my town. You will lose your office, lose your house, I can cut you down to size until you’re a tiny, shrunken, little creature and this will be the only roof over your head.” Regina threatens as she holds up Archie’s umbrella while watching him tremble in fear.
“...What would you have me do?” He submits while bowing his head, his gaze trained on the floor.
“You take that delusion out of my son’s head and you crush it.”
In The Enchanted Forest
In a field, several caravans are parked with many people outside preparing and setting up tents. Children run around the grass screaming and laughing while the adults do their work. Jiminy and his parents are there as one of the entertainers, Jiminy is an adult now and carries himself with a level of shame.
“Come on, Jiminy. Oh, I remember this place. Looks like it’s been a good year,” Myrna grins while taking a deep breath, almost smelling all the money they’d gather by the end of this.
“Yeah, you can tell by all the fat people,” his father quips.
“Maybe we can run the elf tonic scam again,” she wonders as they begin to unpack for the season.
“Can’t we just… Can’t we just put on a show?” Jiminy asks, sick of running scams and stealing from innocent people, “we make enough in the ticket sales. Do we have to steal too?”
“We don’t need to, but it’s nice. We steal from them, and they steal from someone else,” Martin shrugs.
“It’s called an economy.”
“We’re a vital part of it.”
Their voices taunt Jiminy as they have every day for years, the non stop teasing and scamming, all the shame and inability to have roots or friends.
“I want to change… I want to quit!” He announces in a choked sob, wanting - needing to escape for this torment.
“Oh, this again!” Myrna scoffs as she rolls her eyes, wondering how they ended up with such a soft, moral son.
“Well, you can’t leave now,” Martin chuckles while pulling out a trunk.
“We’re getting old.”
“It’s my hip.”
“My liver.”
“I’ve got lumps in strange places.”
“I’ve got burning sensations.”
“You better stay with us.”
“Just until we die.”
“Now, be a good boy and set up.” They taunt as Jiminy crumbles into silent submission once again.
Jiminy is setting things up for the puppet show as rain pours down on him. Fitting, he thinks. A young boy with an umbrella watches him for a moment before approaching him with a large smile.
“Puppets! Wow, what a great job you have!” The boy cheers until he notices his solemn expression. “...You don’t like it?” He asks as he gets a little closer.
“No. No, I don’t. Same show, same fairs every year.” He explains with fatigue, holding up one of the pockets a little too tight.
“Then why don’t you do something else?” The boy asks innocently, still watching him with a smile.
“This is just who I am. What? Did you just come out here to watch us set up?” Jiminy asks, almost snapping at the boy who chuckles and shakes his head.
“No, I came out here to listen to the crickets!”
“Oh, crickets! Why, I haven’t listened to the crickets in a while,” he mumbles to himself, giving himself a moment to do the same, taking a deep breath of night air. “Hey, you better get home. You’re going to catch a cold,” he suggests in a much calmer voice now.
“So are you,” the boy points out, “ here, have my umbrella. I don’t live far. I can’t wait to see the show!” He giggles as he hands her his umbrella before running off back home.
In Storybrooke Maine, In The Real World
Archie sits in his office, slumped in his chair, seemingly deep in thought. Marco knocks on the door before pushing it open with a smile.
“Hey, Arch!” He calls out which startles Archie, he sits up and smiles softly at him.
“Marco? What are you doing here?” He asks and is met with Marco making an eating gesture. “Oh, lunch. I’m sorry, I forgot- I got another patient. Another time?” He asks with a meek smile.
“Sure, of course,” he responds understandingly while Henry runs around Marco and into the room for his session. “Hey! Have a good session, Henry,” he smiles and scruffs Henry’s hair before he leaves. Archie and Henry both sit on the couches.
“Hey.” Archie starts awkwardly, knowing what he has to do.
“Are you recruiting Geppetto for Operation Cobra?” Henry asks happily, glad that his theory might be more believed.
“You think Marco’s Geppetto?”
“Sure. He’s Jiminy Cricket’s best friend and Marco’s yours,” he explains with a shrug, not noticing the way that Archie sighs and fidgets with his umbrella.
“Henry… Henry, look. W-We really need to talk about this, okay?”
“I know you’re not convinced, but I know where I can get proof,” he explains while unzipping his backpack to show Archie what’s inside.
“What is this? Flashlight? Candy bars? Oh, wait, Henry. Henry, you do not want to go down there.” He warns in panic, not wanting him to go too far in the attempts to prove his curse theory.
“Emma’s here and stuff’s happening. I have to look at it.”
“Henry, Henry. Stop. Stop. There is no proof. Look, all of this - all of this - is a delusion. Do you know what a delusion is?” Archie orders as he attempts to sound more cold, struggling to follow Regina’s orders.
“I… I think so.”
“It’s something that’s not real. And… And not healthy. And I thought that you’d outgrow this, but Henry, you know… Now it’s turned into a psychosis. Do you know what a psychosis is? Th-that’s when you can no longer tell what’s real and if that continues, then… Then I have to lock you away. Henry, look. This has to stop for your own good. You got to wake up. This nonsense must end.” He stumbles out, admittedly probably going a bit too far. This is a shared opinion as Henry storms out of Archie’s office looking betrayed.
Mary Margaret and David are playing hangman in his hospital room, they are both smiling.
“...I don’t know. M?” Mary Margaret asks as she inspects the letters she’d gotten correct.
“Mmhmm. Two of them. Get it yet?” David asks as he fills in the missing spaces.
“Yes. And I’m completely mortified. I almost hanged on my own name,” she jokes as they both laugh.
“Don’t worry - I would never have let you hang. I would’ve added toes, a hat, maybe a horse.” He quips while wiping the board that they were playing on.
“Is this a game you played a lot? Uh, before?” She enquires.
“I don’t know…”
“It’ll come back. They’re sending you home in a week. They have to think you’re progressing, don’t they?” She explains while fiddling the ring on her finger.
“Physically.”
“Well, you’re making new memories just fine,” Mary Margaret comments with a small smile, happy that she gets to be part of his new life.
“Maybe I’ll like these better.” He mumbles while looking up at her.
“...Okay, play again?” She suggests quickly, trying to ignore the heat creeping on her cheeks and up her neck.
Kathryn enters the room while holding a box, “can I guess too?” She asks as she sits down with them.
“Oh, Mrs. Nolan. I, uh.. Oh, it’s noon already. I didn’t realize. I should go,” she stumbles out as she gets up.
“Good day, Miss Blanchard.”
Mary Margaret goes to sign out, but can still overhear the conversation. Kathryn shows David a picture of a dog.
“Honey, I brought more pictures. Maybe it’ll jog something. It’s our old dog - Ajax. Remember?” She practically begs for him to remember, to which he stares at the photo before nodding insincerely.
“Yeah… Yeah, Ajax.”
Mary Margaret, Emma, and yourself are at Mary Margaret’s apartment. You sew up the jacket that you wore when you tried sneaking into the tunnels, having ripped the seam on the sleeve. And after receiving a scolding from Mary Margaret for being reckless, she allowed you to have some tea and sew.
“I’m the worst person in the world,” Mary Margaret groans as she sits on the couch next to you.
“Really? In the whole world?” Emma questions with a small grin, finding it a little amusing how she’s acting irrationally.
“The whole world? That is a lot of people to be worse than,” you add while cutting the thread of your now repaired clothing. Mary Margaret ignores you both as she leans into the couch.
“If Kathryn was horrible it’d be easier, but she’s so… nice.” She mumbles as you both look at her with a sigh, knowing what she’s feeling.
“And what, exactly, would be easier?” Emma enquires in a disproving manner, not wanting her to fall into this.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing’s a good idea. You’re smart - you know not to get involved with a married guy. It’s not worth the heartache - trust me.” She advises as you nod along, it is never smart to let yourself get involved, it will always end with people getting hurt.
“You deserve better than chasing a married man, Mary.” You add as there is a knock on the door.
“I’ll get it,” Emma says as she gets up and opens the door, finding a devastated Henry on the other side. He slowly comes in and hugs you, used to seeking you out for comfort.
“Kid? What happened?” She asks as she follows him over to you.
Emma pounds on the door of Archie’s office. He doesn’t answer. With an irritated grunt, she lets herself in.
“Archie! Archie! What did you do? You told me not to take the fantasy away. You told me it would devastate him!” She yells at him with such anger, furious that he would dare try to take this away from him.
“Of course, if therapy stops working, you adjust it.” He responds coldly while refusing to make eye contact with Emma.
“Is it her? Did she threaten you? What could be strong enough to drown out your own conscious?” She growls, unable to believe that he would go out of his way to do this himself.
“I do not need to defend my professional decisions to you, okay?” He snaps while trying to hide the way he is crumbling under his own morals.
Emma’s phone rings following his attempt at arguments.
“Hello, Madam Mayor. Nice work,” Emma snaps.
“You with him?” Regina asks boredly, not in the mood to deal with Emma.
“Yes, I’m with Dr. Hopper and guess what? You left your fingerprints all over him when you tried-”
“Not him - Henry. Is he with you?” She interrupts with an audible eyeroll.
“I dropped Henry at your office an hour ago,” she explains in a calmer manner, now just confused.
“Well, he’s not here.”
“I don’t know where he is.”
“Oh… I do,” Archie mutters in shame as he finally looks off the ground.
Henry stands at the entrance to the mine with you next to him, both curious about the mine and wanting to keep Henry safe. You turn on your flashlights and enter the tunnel.
In The Enchanted Forest
Rumplestiltskin is in a room decorated with lavish furniture, gold blemishes, ornate bookshelves and shelves tower up high. It all screams of gauche luxury, like someone pretending to be a part of high society, basing their reality off of their imagination more than a lived experience. Apart from a rickety old spinning wheel that the imp sits at, spinning straw into gold. Jiminy enters with hesitant steps and places a bag on a table not too far in front of him.
“Thank you very much,” Rumplestiltskin says, barely looking up from his spinning, “and the names? To whom did these treasures belong?” He enquires as Jiminy takes out a list, placing it on top of the pile. Rumplestiltskin grins and hands him a strand of gold thread.
“Gold thread - for your thievery. Thank you. You can go.” He begins and Jiminy sighs, turning to go before he continues to speak, “but you want something else, don’t you? Something with magic.” Rumplestiltskin predicts as he places a gold thread into a bowl along with a potion. When the two combine, the solution begins to glow.
“Every year, I’m stuck in that damn wagon. I want to be free. I want to… I want to be someone else, but something keeps holding me back.” He confesses as he pulls at a loose thread clinging to his shirt.
“Something? Or someone?”
“It’s my parents.” He adds without looking up at him, ashamed that he is still under the control of his parents despite being an adult.
“Then I have exactly what you need. This will set you free. Pour it, sprinkle it, put it in their curds and wait… Anything will work.” Rumplestiltskin explains as he holds up a vial of a clear liquid - the potion. Jiminy goes to take it, but he whips his hand back. “Ah! But you have nothing more to give me. Tell you what - after the potion has done its work, leave them where they are and I’ll come collect them. It’ll be my fee,” he shrugs off.
“What will become of them?” Jiminy asks as if his fee is so small, then this potion must be something horrible.
“Worry you not. They’ll be in safe hands and you’ll be free.” With a reluctant but desperate effort, he takes the vial and leaves.
In Storybrooke Maine, In The Real World
Emma and Archie look at the entrance of the tunnels, calling Henry’s name. Pongo sits next to them whining.
“Henry!”
“Henry!”
“Henry!” They yell in unison, interrupted by Pongo sniffing at something on the ground.
“What do you got there, Pongo?” He asks, kneeling in front of Pongo to look for what the dog had found.
“I don’t think he’s here,” Emma relents while turning to look at them.
“I think he is,” Archie mumbles as he finds one of the candy bars that Henry had in his backpack. He holds it up for Emma to see. “Candy bar. He had these with him.”
You and Henry search in the mine with his flashlight, you lead with him following close behind when you come across a piece of glass that Regina found earlier. You… recognise this glass. A piece of metal stretches over the top, just like… “Snow” you barely mutter. Sleeping. Snow. Dead. Her coffin. Your eyes widen, parts of the enchanted forest are leaking into this world. Henry notices your reaction, it is unlike how anyone under the curse would react. You’re awake. But before he can say anything, the mine starts to shake and collapse. You pull him closer, keeping him sheltered with your own body.
Emma and Archie attempt to stable themselves during this earthquake, they presume it to be.
“Henry!”
“Archie!”
“Henry, it’s not safe!”
“Henry!”
“Henry!” Archie yells as he runs into the mine, the entrance collapsing behind him and leaving Emma stranded on the outside
Archie lights a match and begins to walk farther into the tunnel.
“Henry! Henry!” He calls into the darkness before Henry jumps out from a corner as you follow, the glass piece in your pocket.
“Archie!”
“Henry! [Name]!” He sighs, relieved to find him. “[Name], what are you doing down here?”
“I could not stand by and let Henry explore the mine by himself, besides, I wanted to come down here at some point,” you explain with a shrug.
“You’re here to help me!” Henry exclaims as he leaves your side to greet him.
“No, Henry, listen. We got to get out of here, okay?”
“So, you’re still against me?” He questions as he backs away and closer to you again.
“Henry, there’s no time for that. Come on, Henry! Come on!” Archie argued.
“You don’t believe me? You’ll see. You’ll see!” Henry yells as he runs deeper into the mines, you sigh and give Archie a dirty look before following after him, not wanting him to be alone.
“Henry! Come on, please come back!” You beg as you run after him.
“Henry! Henry - Henry, come back! Henry!” Archie yells as he runs after the two of you.
In The Enchanted Forest
Jiminy and his parents approach a small house, dread creeping up on him as they walk.
“Look, can’t we skip tonight? I mean, we don’t need the money,” he asks while dawdling behind them.
“Everything isn’t about money, Jiminy. It’s about the principle,” his mother scolds.
“A commitment to excellence.”
“Excellence at stealing money.”
“Now go ahead and take the ‘Elf Tonic’, Jiminy,” his father commands as his mother knocks on the front door. A young couple answers the door with a polite smile.
“Oh, such beautiful young people!” Myrna exclaims happily, throwing on an older voice, appearing much more fragile than she was previously.
“Pardon me, uh… Do you have a place in your heart for an honest man and his elderly parents?” Jiminy asks weakly while refusing to make eye contact, feeling that similar blanket of shame weighs heavy on him.
“Of course. Come in,” the man answers as the couple stands aside for them to come in.
“I’ll heat up some broth.” The woman adds as she goes back inside and to the stove while Myrna and Martin push past the man and into the house.
“Oh, we love broth!”
“Oh, what a beautiful home!”
“Your cobbles are so even!”
“Oh, and that’s real fact.”
Jiminy, his parents, and the couple are sitting down and eating at the table.
“Thank you for your kindness,” Jiminy says politely as he sips at the broth.
“I just can’t get it out of my mind. That family…” Myrna whispers to Martin, enacting their scam.
“Terrible way to go.”
“What? What happened?” The woman asks, playing right into their scheme.
“Plague.” They say in union, sounding far too calm.
“The next town over. We just passed through.”
“The plague?”
“Well, a plague, certainly.”
“Is it coming here? Are you okay?” The man asks while already standing to get them help.
“Oh, us? No, we’re immune.”
“We have Elf Tonic.”
“Made by elves, from elves.”
“Four out of five court physicians recommend it.”
“Fifth one died before he could try it,” the two cackle when Martin says that, making the young couple uncomfortable as they shuffle closer to one another.
“Well, you have it, right? Smart folks like you?”
“We’ve never heard of it,” the woman responds as she holds her husband's arm.
“Oh no!”
“Oh, dear god!”
“Oh no, you’re going to die. You need Elf Tonic,” Jiminy says his line half heartedly, staring into his now empty bowl.
“Oh, I wish we had extra!”
“We don’t have extra!”
“There is no extra,” Jiminy mumbles.
“We could pay you,” the woman suggests.
“We have a tiny bottle.”
“But we need that for ourselves.”
“What can we give you?” The man asks.
“Surely, there must be something here you would want?” The woman adds on as Myrna and Martin look at each other with glee.
“I’m sure we could come up with something…”
There are several bags of belongings by the door, Jiminy’s parents each take a bag, “well, I guess we should start loading up,” Myrna sighs happily as they take the rest of the bags and leave.
“There you go.” Jiminy mumbles as he gives the ‘Elf Tonic’ to the couple.
“Thank you,” the young couple says as they hold each other.
Jiminy joins his parents outside as they load the bags into their caravan, the guilt hanging heavy, almost suffocating him.
“Those are good people. They… They would never have hurt us like that.” He points out as he reluctantly helps them pack, they are getting older.
“And that’s where they went wrong.”
“It’s better to be the kind of people who take.”
“Instead of those that get taken from.”
Jiminy takes out a vial, “I’m sorry. You’ve given me no other choice,” he mutters before splashing Rumplestiltskin’s potion on his parents. But nothing happens.
“How frail do you think we are, son?”
“Rain water won’t hurt us. I’m pretty good at sleight of hand, Jiminy.” His father teases upon noticing his confused look.
“You switched them? If this was the Elf Tonic…” He mutters to himself, a feeling of nauseousness and a heavy chest washing over him.
“Oh my! We must have given whatever you had to that family.”
“Oh, I hope it wasn’t dangerous!”
Jiminy goes back into the house, it appears to be completely empty, just like the vial containing the potion that lays on the floor. He then notices two puppets sitting off to the side. They resemble the couple they had robbed. Jiminy looks on in shock, tears beginning to well up in his eyes as his parents come in behind him.
“Oh, look at that!”
“New puppets for the act!”
A young boy enters the house, calling for his parents. It’s the same small boy who gave Jiminy his umbrella.
“Mama! Papa! Who are you? Mama? Papa? What did you do to them? What did you do to them?”
In Storybrooke Maine, In The Real World
Archie searches for you and Henry in the mine, finding the two of you shining his flashlight down a hole.
“Henry? Henry? Henry! Henry, [name], can you do something? You got to slow down.” He orders to which Henry ignores while you shrug, struggling with the realisation that Henry knows that you are awake and will spend who knows how long trying to figure out who you really are. Not even you know that anymore.
“There’s something shiny down there,” Henry mutters in awe, watching the light reflect off a shiny object.
“Henry, this is seriously dangerous. We got to get out of here,” Archie argues as you nod, not wanting either of them to get hurt.
“It could be something.”
“‘Something’ may not be worth your health, Henry,” you comment, receiving a glare from the boy. He must feel betrayed that you hadn’t told him that you are awake and that the curse is real.
“Henry, look at me! Look at me! I’m frightened for you, Henry.” Archie shouts as he grabs his shoulders.
“Because you think I’m crazy?”
“No! No, because we are tapped underground in an abandoned mine, Henry. And there is no way out.”
The rest of town once again gathered around the entrance of the tunnel, all waiting for any sign that the three of you are alive.
“Archie and [name] are smart. They will keep the boy safe until we get to them,” Marco reasons as he watches the occasional rock tumbling down the collapsed entrance. The ground starts to shake again, causing a few people to fall, rocks to tremble, but luckily no other danger is found.
“Watch out!”
“Stop! Stop! You’re making it worse!” Regina cries out at Emma.
“I am trying to save him! You know why he went down there in the first place, don’t you? Because you made him feel like he had something to prove,” she argues.
“And why does he think he has anything to prove? Who's questioning him?” She questions as she gets closer to Emma.
“Do not put this on me.”
“Oh, please! Lecture me until his oxygen runs out!”
You, Henry, and Archie are still navigating the mine when barking echoes throughout the tunnels.
“Henry, do you hear that too?” You ask, shining the light to where the sound is coming from.
“It’s Pongo!” Henry cheers as he begins to run after the dog.
“Follow the noise,” Archie shouts as the three of you dash for the sound of the above.
Emma approaches Regina with a sigh, “we have to stop this. Arguing won’t accomplish anything.”
“No, it won’t,” Regina admits while crossing her arms.
“What do you want me to do?” She asks.
“Help me.”
The three of you come across an old elevator shaft, a way to escape eases all of your nerves.
“It’s loudest over here,” Archie comments as he looks up the elevator shaft.
“What’s… What’s this?”
“I believe it is… an old elevator,” you answer.
“We need to find some way to punch through the ground. We need something big,” Regina suggests as she ponders, trying to think of the best way to destroy the mine while saving you and Henry.
“Like what?”
“Explosives,” Marco answers.
You investigate the elevator, leaning into the elevator shaft to test if it’s still able to support people.
“It is used to get the mine workers in and out. It should go all the way to the top and that is why we could hear Pongo,” you explain.
“Can we make it work?” Henry questions as he mimics your actions.
“Let’s give it a shot.”
Workers lay down lines for the explosives over the lines where the mine should be, everyone clears out of the area.
“Okay. We’re all clear,” Emma announces.
You and Archie turn the wheel that moves the elevator, in response, the elevator moves ever so slightly.
“Come on!” Archie shouts as he tries to put more strength into turning the wheel.
Henry runs over to help you and Archie move the elevator.
Everyone outside the mine positions themselves.
“Blow it,” Regina orders, quickly following the explosives are set off, but only serve to knock the elevator to fall farther down the shaft. Emma runs to the entrance of the tunnel to look for any signs that the explosives did anything.
“Did it work?” Regina calls out to Emma.
“It didn’t open.”
“Then what did it do?” Graham questions.
Mary Margaret is getting ready to leave the hospital, saying goodbye to a patient before David enters the room.
“Have a good day.”
“Hey! Where are you going?” He calls after her with a smile that makes her pause and wait for him.
“Home. I’m done for the day. Shouldn’t you be resting?” She asks as she walks over to meet him.
“Ah, actually, Dr. Whale wants me to start physical therapy. I’m supposed to walk thirty minutes a day on a treadmill or outside with an escort. But they were kind of short on personnel because of that thing that happened at the mine,” David explains while looking down at her softly, trying to give her hints.
“Oh…”
“So… Maybe if there was a volunteer willing to help?”
Mary Margaret and David stand by the water, breathing in the cool air.
“I’m trying to remember this place. It’s like… It’s like I woke up in some strange land,” he confesses, feeling lost in this new world with no memory of who he is. It’s isolating.
“Is there anything coming back? What about when you’re with her? You remembered your dog,” she questions as she steps just a little closer.
“Yeah, I lied,” he admits while gazing into the water, his own face looking back at him. He can hardly recognise it.
“You did?”
“She’s so loving and I didn’t want to disappoint her. But none of it feels right. You know, a dog named Ajax? Who would name their dog that? None of it makes sense. None of it… None of it feels real.” He struggles to explain while frowning at his reflection.
“That sounds lonely.”
“Actually, one thing does feel real. You.” David mutters as he looks up at her, his hand lightly touching hers.
“What?”
“I know it’s crazy, but I swear you’re the only thing in this whole place that feels… That feels right… Kathryn.” He attempts to explain, letting his hand drop.
“...Right.”
“Kathryn! You’re here,” he suddenly announces after noticing her standing behind them.
“I know it’s outside of visiting hours, but, uh, I needed to see you. I made some cranberry muffins. They used to be your favourite,” she explains while holding out the basket to him.
“Well, I should leave you two,” Mary Margaret says awkwardly as she begins to walk off.
“Wait, Mary Margaret! See you tomorrow?” He asks hopefully to which she nods and walks away.
Everyone is still gathered around the mine, trying to find some sign of change.
“What was that? What the hell was that? You said you could do this!” Regina cries out as she storms towards Emma.
“Madam Mayor!”
“They could have killed my son and [name]!”
“I know, but this isn’t helping,” Emma argues, keeping her voice level in order to keep herself calm.
“If we knew exactly where they were, we could drill down to them. Maybe… Maybe rig something to bring them up,” Marco suggests.
“But drill where?” Graham questions while walking up and down the plotted area of where the tunnels should be.
Upon hearing distressed barking, Emma lets Pongo out of the fire truck, “come on buddy!”
“What are you thinking we-” Regina starts but is interrupted by Emma’s revelation.
“It’s Archie’s dog. He’s found something. Look! This is where they must be. What is it?” She questions while Graham and Marco move aside a piece of metal, underneath sits a grate.
“So? What do you think it is?”
“It’s an air shaft,” Graham answers.
The three of you sit in the elevator, you lean back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling, trying to think about how to explain your perspective to Henry.
“I’m really… really, really sorry.” Henry mutters, shifting to rest against your side. After all of this, he must not be so upset anymore, perhaps more scared than anything else. You’ll still talk to him about it, though. It’ll bother both of you if you don’t.
“It’s alright.” Archie sighs while fiddling with his umbrella.
“I just wanted to find proof.”
“You know, it’s really alright, Henry. And um, um, I’m sorry, too. Look, I… I don’t think you’re crazy. I-I just… I just think you have got a very strong mother, who’s got a clear idea of a path she wants for you to be on and when you step off that she… She gets scared. And, you know, it’s natural. But it’s also natural for you to be able to be free to think the things you want to think. So, anyway. I… I didn’t mean those things I said and I never should have said them.” Archie explains while forcing himself to look at the two of you, no running away from his mistakes.
“Then, why did you?”
“I guess I’m just not a very good person. I’m not the man I want to be,” he confesses, hugging his knees as the elevator suddenly drops farther down the shaft.
Marco puts a hook attached to a tree trunk around the grate.
“Okay. Alright - gun it,” Emma orders, “that’s good! Alight, we got it. Alright.” She says as the grate is pulled off and everyone gathers to look down the shaft.
“So, what’s next?” Regina asks.
You all stay sat in the elevator, still in shock after the last elevator movement.
“I think you can be him. I think you can be a good person. I mean, you’re Jiminy Cricket,” Henry considers.
“Henry. Henry, Jiminy Cricket was a… He was a cricket, okay? And he was a conscious. And… And I hardly think that’s me,” Archie deflects, unable to accept the chance to be better and act more like how he’d want to present.
“But before he was that, he was a guy who took a long time to figure out the right thing to do,” Henry explains. Even if Archie doesn’t believe in the curse, it is a good message for him to take in, time does wonders if you use it to better yourself.
“That kind of sounds like me.”
“Perhaps you can follow that path and in time you can become who you aim to be,” you comment.
“Only now it’s harder for you because of the curse. To hear the voice inside of you. To be who you want to be,” he concludes as the elevator jerks once again, you hold Henry in preperation, and the elevator falls farther down the shaft.
“You need to lower someone straight down, or the line will collapse the side of the shaft,” Marco explains as everyone continues to peer down the air shaft.
“I’ve got a harness," Graham comments.
“Lower me down.” Regina orders while Emma shakes her head in rejection.
“Oh, no way. I’m going,” she argues.
“He’s my son.”
“He’s my son, too. You’ve been sitting behind a desk for ten years. I can do this.”
“Just bring him to me,” Regina concedes, just desperate to see her son alive and okay.
“Hey, can I ask you again?” Archie asks as he slumps against the wall tiredly.
“Ask what?”
“Why do you think it’s so important that your… your fairy tale theory is true?” He repeats from their previous sessions, feeling hopeless in this situation.
“I don’t know.”
“Give it a shot,” he encourages.
“...Cause this can’t be all there is,” Henry mutters in a struggle to find a reason why his reality is built the way it has.
“I understand.”
“I thought if I found proof… But I didn’t find anything,” he shrugs as he looks up at you, to which you shake your head. Proof was found - maybe too much for your liking.
“Well, that’s not true. I was lost and you found me, right?” Archie questions in an attempt to lighten the boy’s mood.
“You mean, you remember?”
“No, Henry. I… I don’t remember, but I-I do remember the kind of person I want to be. I just got to listen harder.” He explains and you smile, glad that he wants to try to become like his fairy tale equivalent.
Pieces of rock fall through the grate at the top of the elevator and you immediately cover Henry’s head before anything can hit him. Light pokes through the now open space the rocks fell.
“Wh-what’s that?”
“I think we are being rescued,” you comment as you see Emma descend upon you.
“You guys okay?” She calls down. You could be better, you suppose. You and Archie have some minor injuries and you had exposed your reality to Henry, so, you could be better.
“Yeah, we’re… We’re okay.” Archie answers as you stand up, scooping Henry up in your arms, knowing that getting him to safety is the priority.
“Hang on, Henry. Okay, that’s good.”
“Here you go,” you mutter as you pass Henry up to Emma and climb out yourself, sitting on top of the elevator.
“Come on. I got ya. Okay. Okay, I got him.
“You got him? Is he safe?” Archie asks from below when the elevator begins to shake.
“Archie?”
“It’s going to fall!” He shouts out as you cling onto the cord holding up the elevator.
“I’m sorry!”
“It’s okay!” He shouts as the elevator falls down the entire shaft.
“Archie!” Emma cries out, he appears to have fallen as well, but a weight hanging from your arm would tell a different story. He managed to save himself by hooking his umbrella to your wrist in a blind panic. It may hurt and maybe even fracture your wrist, but years of training in the enchanted forest and in this world has given you enough strength to support another human’s weight without putting too much stress on your body.
All of you are pulled out of the elevator shaft and, your wrist is broken. It hurts a little bit more than you’re comfortable with, but it’ll be fine. Regina hugs you and thanks you for protecting Henry before taking Henry aside. Marco grabs Archie and hugs him tightly. Once Graham unhooks Emma, she runs over to Regina and Henry before he walks over to you, watching you nurse your wrist.
“You held Dr. Hopper up with just your wrist, [name]? How are you not crying or calling an ambulance?” He asks as he takes your wrist to set it.
“High pain tolerance, I suppose. Archie was in danger and I was the only thing keeping him from falling, I had to stay strong.” You explain as he helps stand you up and walk you to the hospital.
“You okay?” Emma asks Henry as she runs over to them.
“Deputy, you can clear the crowd away,” Regina says coldly, pushing her away and sending Henry to a safe place, unaware that he just follows you, and isolates Archie.
“Thank you, Dr. Hopper.”
“I, uh… I have something to say. I’m going to continue to treat Henry, and I’m going to do it my way.” He announces, doing his best to be brave and start becoming the man he wants to be.
“My relief at his safety hasn’t changed a thing, Dr. Hopper. You will do as I say, or you will-”
“Or you will what? You’ll ruin my life? You’ll do your worst? Because I will always do my best,” he argues which greatly irritates Regina.
“Don’t test me.”
“Oh, I don’t need to. Because you’re going to leave me alone and let me do my work. In peace.” He orders, feeling very proud of himself for standing up for himself against her. There is a new shine to him now.
“Really? Why’s that?”
“Becuase someday, Madam Mayor, you may find yourself in a custody battle. And you know how the court determines who is a fit parent? They consult an expert. Particularly one who has treated the child. So, I suggest that you think about that. And you allow me to do my work. And let me do it the way my conscious tells me to.” He threatens, and it appears effective as she goes quiet and walks away.
In The Enchanted Forest
Jiminy stands outside by himself, looking intensely at the sky and noticing a particularly bright star. He closes his eyes.
“I wish… I wish…” He whispers into the night air as the Blue Fairy appears in front of him.
“I hear your wish - you don’t need to wish it so loudly. But it is not possible. I cannot bring back the boy’s parents,” she announces, her voice full of pity.
“It’s my fault. I have to make it right. I… I would trade my life to make it happen,” he begs.
“What’s done is done. There may be another way.” She mutters to herself as Jiminy looks up at her.
“Tell me. Please.”
“That little boy? He will grow up to face many challenges. Do you want to help him?” She asks as she floats around him, as if inspecting him.
“I can’t get away from these people. They’re my parents. They’re who I am” He argues weakly as he yet again fails to see himself as anything other than his parent’s child.
“But if you didn’t want to be that, what would you be?” The sound of crickets chirping in the distance fills is the space his answer couldn’t.
“I hear your wish,” she whispers before raising her wand and turns Jiminy into a cricket, chirping along with the others. “How do you feel?” She asks the now cricket, who is attempting to adjust to his new body.
“Free.”
“Find the boy, Jiminy. You will live as many years as you need to help him. Just find him.” She commands, drawing his attention back to her.
“How will I? I don’t even know his name,” he protests in defeat, slipping back into his old patterns quickly.
“His name is Geppetto.”
In Storybrooke Maine, In The Real World
You sit up in a hospital bed, left alone now that your wrist has been tended to, getting ready to leave when Henry sits down next to you. There’s no running away from it now.
“You’re awake,” Henry mutters as he looks at the ground in front of him, unable to believe that proof of all his theories were right there in front of him this whole time.
“I… Am. And I apologise for not telling you before, Henry. You must understand that in this land, your mother decided to curse us into having a good relationship and it meant that I could help raise you. If she had known that I was aware, she would have kept us apart.” You explain while struggling to look at him, unable to face the betrayal of having to lie to him, despite doing it for his own safety.
“You lied so you could be there for me?” He asks as he finally looks at you.
“I did. I wanted to protect you.”
“But why didn’t you tell me earlier? When I told you about the curse?” He questions in a failed attempt to be angry. Your honesty now is more than he’d gotten from his mother, or anyone else.
“Becuase it would have made it worse for you to hide all of this from your mother, and Dr. Hopper would have had you taken away if you had brought my awareness into this. You were younger then, you were not ready.” You answer as you look down at him. “But I do deeply apologise, I know you must feel betrayed by my deception.” You continue but are uninterrupted as he hugs you, glad to have proof and that you’re actually being honest with him.
“So… Who are you?” He asks as you hug him back with your good arm.
“I can no longer remember, all I know is that I have always gone by [name]. But you must know that I am not from this world, nor am I from the Enchanted Forest, I am much older than any of this,” you explain, to which he nods, suddenly filled with the desire to find your history out for you.
When you are allowed out of the hospital, it is nighttime and the two of you walk back to the mine site where most of the town remains. You, Henry, and Emma watch Archie and Marco talk.
“Is that Archie’s father?” Emma asks with a tilted head.
“No, they’re just old friends.” Henry answers while you watch on in a peaceful silence, Jiminy and Geppetto, friends even across realms.
“You really scared me,” she scolds, looking down at Henry.
“I’m sorry…”
“So did you, [name], you broke your wrist!” She continues to scold you too, causing you to bow your head.
“I apologise, Emma I did not mean to worry anyone,” you say as Archie and Marco walk over, with Archie immediately hugging you and apologising for hurting you.
“It was not your fault, Archie, if it was not for your catching me, you would have been in a worse state. Please, do not apologise for something that was out of your control.” You say, taking a turn in doing the scolding before Emma speaks up.
“Gentlemen. Well, come on. Your mom wants to take you home,” Emma warns as they turn to leave.
“Hey! Listen.” Henry stops in his steps to listen to a new sound in the town.
“Crickets,” Archie mutters.
“They’re back. Things are changing,” he smiles up at you and you nod, glad that you are now able to confirm Henry’s curse related suspicions.
Across town, Mr. Gold walks through his pawn shop. The puppets of Geppetto’s parents are sitting on the counter, smiling eternally out into the distance. At the hospital, Mary Margaret passes in her letter of resignation with a tearful smile. At the mine sight, everyone is talking and drinking while some others check in on you. Off to the side, Regina stands near the elevator shaft and with the grate placed back on top of it, she takes the piece of glass that she previously picked up out of her pocket. She looks at it briefly, then drops it through the grate. It falls down the shaft until it lands on top of what appears to be Snow White’s glass coffin with a soft clink, the piece reuniting with the whole.
End of chapter 5: That Still Small Voice
